Love's Not a Competition
by Rainbow Moonshine
Summary: I thought love was this unbreakable force for you that could only be stopped by corrupted unicorns and evil wizards." Pre-finale. Literati.


Title: Love's Not a Competition  
Rating: T  
Summary: "I thought love was this unbreakable force for you that could only be stopped by corrupted unicorns and evils wizards." Pre-finale. Literati.  
A/N: This is only a one-shot celebrating my three year anniversary with fanfiction. I know it's late, but I had to do it at some point, so here it is. I hope it's enjoyable and everyone have a happy Valentine's Day.

.::~::.

Playing with band in his fingers, she thought of her choices. She could marry Logan, that was option one. It was a good- one of the better, less confusing and hurtful options, but she wasn't really 'feeling' it. Logan was wonderful; he wasn't the same rich playboy she had known when they first met. He was smart and clever, matching her wit almost to a tee. Still, Rory felt as though Logan was missing something.

She slid the ring up and down her finger, gazing at the diamond from all angles. It was gorgeous- no doubt Logan spent a fortune picking out the right size and colour and all that other shit she thought she cared about; however, she couldn't bring herself to do so. Sure, it was a lovely thought; she could pretend it was everything she wanted and more, but her heart wasn't in it.

As Logan had gotten on one knee and proposed in front of _everyone she had ever met, _all Rory could think of was 'what would Jess think?' and the thought frightened her. She had been able to go weeks without thinking of him and she figured it was only a matter of time that she would stop altogether. Nevertheless, Logan's expecting face and her grandparent's desperate plea for her to say 'yes' had her picturing Jess in the corner, just laughing.

Rory slid the ring off her finger and placed it gently back in it's box. It looked horrible far away; definitely not ugly, just foreign, like it wasn't meant for her. She flipped the top down and closed with a 'thwack'. And as she got up to pace, she couldn't stop herself from picking up the phone and calling the well-memorized number.

"Hello?" It wasn't soft, but it wasn't hard either. Had he been asleep? Oh, she hoped he hadn't.

"Jess, hey. Hi. It's me. Uh, Rory." She thought she could hear him smile on the other end, but she wasn't sure if it was just her imagination.

"Rory, wow. I haven't heard from you in months. Is everything all right? Is someone hurt? Your mom, Luke?" It made her feel like shit, that he thought somebody had to be dying or near death for her to call.

"No, they're fine. I'm fine. Everyone's fine." There was a silence as they both searched for something to say. "Logan proposed." This time, she knew she heard him sit up and sigh on the other end.

"Oh, yeah? What did you say?" His tone was so nonchalant, Rory remembered it as being practiced so he didn't sound as heartbroken as he really was. It was the same tone of voice he used when she didn't write from Washington or told him she was still seeing Logan after he cheated.

"That I'd think about it." She paced around the empty apartment some more, praying he would say something insightful or genius, like he always did. "What do you think?"

"What do I think? Well, uh, not much, actually. Last time we had some sort of meaningful conversation that included Logan, you told me he cheated on you, but you still loved him." Other the other side, Jess rubbed his eyes and inwardly moaned as his head ached. He just knew the various bottles of Jack Daniel's that he'd downed was going to bite him in the ass.

"Yeah, but, I don't know if that's enough." There was a pregnant pause as Jess contemplated what she had said.

"Never though I'd hear you say that. I thought love was this unbreakable force for you that could only be stopped by corrupted unicorns and evil wizards." He tried to laugh it off, but he could tell Rory didn't take it so well.

"Sometimes, I swear I don't understand you."

"I'm sorry. I'm still a little drunk, so if I were you, I wouldn't take anything I say too seriously." She wondered why he had been drunk, but didn't worry about it too much. Jess was an adult and he could do whatever he pleased; he certainly didn't need her permission. "What do you think you're going to do?"

"I dunno. I don't think I'm ready for marriage, I'm only graduating _tomorrow_; and he talked about owning an avocado tree in this wonderful house he bought in California. Do I want to live there? It's so far away and I haven't even got a job."

"Well, take it from someone who _has _lived there, it's shit. There's sunshine and happy people all the fucking time and barely any decent pizza or bookstores. I'm just glad I was able to get out of there before I turned into the good vampire of L.A."

"I'm sorry, did you just make a Buffy reference?" She wanted so desperately to cling onto something familiar and making fun of Jess was good. It was clear he didn't know what he was saying and probably wouldn't remember in the morning.

"Then I must still be drunk."

"I'm just curious as to _how _you can make Buffy reference. What possessed you-"

"It was for a friend. Jesus, I don't ask you about the odd references you make, I don't think it's fair for you to pick on me."

"I've never said anything-" Jess cut her off with a soft chuckle.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't the one who tried to casually bring up Rod Stuart in a conversation."

"That was years ago. I was seventeen; naïve and helpless. I didn't know any better." She laughed herself. It was good to talk like this; she hadn't laughed properly in what seemed like forever. Jess could always do that, she didn't know why, but it was like their minds were in synch. "So, your friend…a girl?"

"I don't see many guys lining up to watch Sarah Michelle Gellar make snaky comments while killing socially awkward vampires."

"Is she your…girlfriend? Like with flowers and dinner and bad chick flicks?" She found herself more interested and jealous than she knew she should have been.

"Uh, well, yeah. We skipped the bad chick flick part, though, she's not a big fan of those, thank god." It was then Rory realized his voice was low, and not just the 'I have a hangover so I need everything to be as quiet as possible' low, it was more like he was trying not to wake the person sleeping next to him.

"Well, that's nice, isn't it? You have a girlfriend and I have, well, I don't know. Am I getting married?"

"Can I be honest?" Rory hoped Jess knew that he could without asking, then remembering past events, she realized he had good reasons to ask first. "Of course, always."

"I think you made up your mind even before you called me. Logan, he may be great and you might love him, but you said it yourself; you're not ready. There's so much happening around you, it's too much. And I'm not just saying this because I seriously want to punch him in the jaw."

After silence that seemed like it lasted a lifetime, Rory replied, "thank you."

"Anytime." Jess sighed and looked at the girl sleeping next to him. He wasn't going to marry her, he might not marry at all, but it was a nice thought. "Goodbye Rory."

"Goodbye Jess."


End file.
